A blog about my life, my triumphs, my challenges and all of the things I am learning as an emerging author

Sunday, February 16, 2014

Believing in Yourself

No one ever
promised that a career in writing would be easy.Unlike other jobs, a writer must believe in
themselves in order to be successful, but how can you do that?Especially as a new writer, having the confidence
to forge ahead with your writing career can be a struggle.

Here are
some important ways that all writers can increase their confidence;

1.Commit to what you are doing.I realize that sounds overly simple, but it is essential.To be successful you can’t halfway
commit.Show your commitment by publicly
sharing your intent to write.Tell your
family and friends, list writing as your profession on your Facebook profile or
other social media. Don’t be afraid to tell people that you are working on a
novel – most of the people you meet are wishing they had the courage to pursue
their dreams.Your courageous commitment
can be an inspiration to them as well.To
be committed also means you are willing to work on it every day.Show your commitment by continually
practicing your skills; find whatever works for you and do it often, whether
that’s journaling or daily blogging, find a way to keep getting better.Practice, Practice, Practice.I have committed to write at least 500 words
every single day for a month, no days off and no excuses.Some days will be easier than others, but
that’s what commitment is all about – every day, whether it an easy day or a
really tough one, and that commitment will help give you the confidence to
succeed.

2.Celebrate every success.If you read my earlier blog post about reaching your goals, I was
bragging about making it to 10,000 words in my current book.It isn’t that much, but for me it’s a milestone.When you do something great, take time to
celebrate. Every milestone increases your
level of confidence.Shout it from the rooftops, and feel
proud.Each success will propel you even
further.I am so lucky to have an
amazing set of cheerleaders every time I do something good, they help me
celebrate.My fiancé is so encouraging and
my daughters are so supportive, plus I have a great network of friends.I share what I am doing on social media and
the positive feedback and reinforcement I get back is invaluable.Use your family and friends to give you that
needed pat on the back.

3.Constantly create.Celebrate the creative soul that you are and trust yourself to share
your words and ideas.Don’t waste time
second guessing, that’s what the editing process is for.This may be the hardest part, but focus on
being present and in the current moment.Let go of everything else and just create.Find the time and space that you need, put on
your headphones, go outside, whatever it takes to get your creative juices
going and let it flow.The biggest
confidence boost you can have is simply to believe in yourself and allow
yourself to go for it.Fear won’t
magically disappear, struggles won’t magically go away, but if you can just get
out of your own way, you will be astounded at all that you can accomplish.

6 comments:

Great tips, Laurie. And it can be used in so many other ways, not just with writing. I love the tip about celebrating every success, no matter how small. Such an inspirational idea for all facets of life.

Thanks so much for sharing on Turn It Up Tuesday! We love having you! :)

I love this. As someone that started blogging because I wanted to get back to my dream of writing reading this was such a great reminder to just keep believing and pushing forward. It is so easy to doubt ourselves. I am currently working on a book myself, and recently had one of my motherhood stories/essays published in Chicken Soup for the Soul. But I still find myself constantly doubting my capabilities. I love connecting with other emerging writers. Besides working on my own book, I've also done a lot of research lately of smaller lit magazines that pay for publications. I'd be happy to share with you what I've learned so far. Going to follow with GFC. You can find me at Time with A & N (http://glennbabies.blogspot.com )

Thanks so much Angela- I love connecting with other writers too, it helps so much to get a different perspective. Congrats on the Chicken Soup submission. That must be exciting for you. I am working hard on finishing up a funny memoir of some health issues I had recently - I am definitely leaning towards an ebook distribution for that one. I would love to chat more with you about other writing opportunities. Laurie

Very powerful words of wisdom for those who are in any creative process, from writing to starting a business. Celebrating successes along the way is HUGE and so necessary as we can often feel like we're treading water and getting no where when we have a gigantic idea of a project in front of us. Thank you for these words, a good read for a dippy Monday!

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About Me

Laurie WJN
is a self-described writer, dreamer and child at heart.With a degree in both recreational therapy
and education, Laurie has experience as a Certified Recreational Therapist and
an educator.Her unique insights on emotions and behavior
come from her many perspectives as a wife, mother, sister, recreational
therapist & middle school teacher.Laurie
lives in Arizona with three unruly dogs and her amazing husband.